Abstract
Around the world, in all market types, governments face the twin challenges of
increasing the level of participation of their populations and reducing the
cost overhead of government and enforcement processes. These apparently
mutually exclusive aims provide an opportunity for MNOs and those that provide
application services over their networks.
While eGovernment has already become established and the ability to interact
with administrative bodies through e-mail or web portals have become
commonplace, the ubiquity of the mobile phone and its ability to penetrate
populations even in remote areas of developing countries, where no fixed
communications infrastructure is present, mean that mobile technology may be
able to extend the franchise and reduce process costs far more effectively. In
developed markets, mGovernment still has an important role in helping to
improve the cost-effectiveness of the resources employed as well as offering a
mechanism to increase the level of engagement of the voter in the process of
government.
Consequently, commitments to mGovernment have already been made at local and
national level in many countries around the world. MNOs stand to benefit from
major contracts to provide appropriate functionality from governing
administrations as well as increased revenues derived from carrying new
traffic, including voice, SMS and data associated with mGovernment
applications. However, if MNOs are not proactive in promoting mGovernment
applications, other service providers may capture most of the benefit, leaving
MNOs to a situation where they are forced to negotiate to obtain even a small
revenue share.
This report examines the market context of mGovernment as well as examples of
implementations already in place and draws conclusions and makes
recommendations that MNOs should take account of to optimise their
exploitation of this major opportunity area.
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